Police in Spencer track down robbery suspect

Tuesday

Nov 26, 2013 at 6:00 AMNov 26, 2013 at 6:02 PM

By Craig S. Semon and Linda Bock TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

A man wanted for questioning in the armed robbery of the Stop & Shop supermarket in Sturbridge Monday is in custody after an extensive search in Spencer this morning. Dozens of state and local police searched woods off Route 9 for about an hour before the man was located about 10 a.m.

Police converged on Spencer after a man fled from a car that was stopped near Route 9 by Spencer Police Officer Scott Griffin. Two other men were taken into custody at the traffic stop.

The man who fled was thought to have a gun.

The gun was not located when the man was apprehended. An extensive search of the area, aided by a state police dog, turned up the gun, hidden under leaves.

A helicopter and tracking dogs from the state police were on the scene.

Spencer schools were put on alert.

The three men in custody will be questioned for the Stop & Shop robbery and for robberies of businesses in Worcester and Shrewsbury, police said.

Shortly before 2 p.m. Monday, a man armed with a handgun robbed the service desk at the Stop & Shop in the Center at Hobbs Brook, 100 Charlton Road (Route 20) in Sturbridge. The suspect fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash and got into a car that had two other people in it, according to police.

Shortly after still surveillance photos were obtained and emailed to all area police departments, Worcester and Shrewsbury police detectives contacted the Sturbridge Police Department with a possible suspect involved in past robberies in their cities.

Sturbridge Officer Ronald Obuchowski was working with Worcester and Shrewsbury police, as well as witnesses, to positively identify the suspect. Police put two photos from the store's surveillance camera on their Facebook page.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Earl Dessert or Officer Obuchowski at (508) 347-2525.